Incentive for civil servants a gift for Ramadan, new school session

IPOH - The provision of the Early Incentive Payment of the Public Service Remuneration System Study amounting to RM2,000 to civil servants is considered a gift to recipients as it will be received before Ramadan and the opening of the 2024/2025 school session.

Government retirees including veterans with and without pensions will not be left out, as they will receive an incentive of RM1,000.

Information assistant Khuzaimah Mohd Tahir, 50, said the incentive, to be paid at the end of February 2024, would be used to cover her children’s school expenses since the school session starts in March and Ramadan falls in the same month.

"Both of these events require quite a lot of expenses, so this incentive is beneficial,” she told Bernama today.

Meanwhile, assistant engineer Mohd Izzuan Ishak, 42, considered the incentive an additional benefit and hoped the government could implement salary adjustments because the benefits would be enjoyed continuously.

"Although the RM2,000 aid is a relatively large amount, it is a one-time payment. So, I think the government’s priority should be implementing the civil servant salary adjustment,” he said.

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) Veteran Affairs Department Corporate Communication Unit head Muhammad Izzat Siraj Mohd Iyas Zainal Ravi said the incentive would be beneficial to veterans and prove that the government does not neglect the welfare and socioeconomics of the group.

He also hoped the aid could be channelled to ATM veterans without complicated processes that might delay payments.

Meanwhile, former military personnel with the rank of Sergeant, Muhammad Roni Abdul Rahman expressed his gratitude for the RM1,000 incentive to all ATM veterans, as it is the highest amount so far.

At the same time, he hoped that the pension received by veterans would be increased or at least retained at the two per cent annual increment, as it is currently too little.

"I hope this incentive will remain and the government can increase the amount in the coming years so that veterans can use it for their expenses and other needs,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling the Malaysia Madani Budget 2024 in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday, announced the early incentive payments of RM2,000 for all civil servants in grade 56 and below, including contract appointees.

Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said an incentive of RM1,000 would be given to all in the Jawatan Utama Sektor Awam grade including uniformed bodies, as well as extended to all government retirees including pensionable and non-pensionable veterans. - BERNAMA